Reborn in 2000: I'm the Boss's Driver

On Wednesday afternoon at 4:30, Zhou Wenyuan took a car from the Municipal Party Committee to visit a newly built political and legal comprehensive service hall in the development zone.

Driver Xiao Zhang drove very steadily, and the Audi A6 cruised smoothly through the traffic. Zhou Wenyuan sat in the back seat, eyes closed, resting, a document in his hand.

The car drove to the intersection of Jianshe Road and Renmin Road and waited at the red light.

The light turned green, and Xiao Zhang slowly started moving. Just then, a large truck carrying construction waste in the left lane suddenly changed lanes to the right at high speed and crashed directly into the Audi.

Xiao Zhang reacted quickly enough, swerving the steering wheel, but it was too late.

"boom--"

With a loud crash, the Audi spun halfway around after the impact, slamming its side against the roadside guardrail. The airbags deployed instantly.

The surrounding cars all stopped, some people ran over to look, and some called the police.

Zhou Wenyuan was dizzy from the impact, and a sharp pain shot through his left arm. He opened his eyes and saw the driver, Xiao Zhang, slumped over the steering wheel, blood streaming from his head.

"Xiao Zhang... Xiao Zhang!" he called out.

Xiao Zhang did not respond.

A few minutes later, the ambulance and traffic police arrived. Paramedics lifted the two men out of the car and into the ambulance. Zhou Wenyuan's left arm was immobile, likely fractured, and he had abrasions on his face, but he was still conscious. Xiao Zhang was more seriously injured; his eyes were closed, and his breathing was weak.

The ambulance, sirens blaring, sped straight to the Municipal People's Hospital.

Lin Fan was reviewing the case file of Wang Zhiqiang when he received the call. The call was from Li Ming, Zhou Wenyuan's secretary, whose voice was trembling with anxiety.

"Secretary Lin, Secretary Zhou has been in a car accident! He's at the hospital!"

Lin Fan's mind went blank for a moment: "Which hospital? How badly are you injured?"

"People's Hospital, they're in the emergency room! Please come quickly!"

Lin Fan threw down the file and ran out. Zhao Gang, who was in the next office, heard the commotion and came out: "Secretary Lin, what's wrong?"

"Secretary Zhou has been in a car accident; he's at the People's Hospital!"

The two rushed downstairs and drove straight to the hospital. On the way, Lin Fan's hands trembled, his mind a jumble of thoughts. How could they have been in a car accident? Zhou Wenyuan's driver, Xiao Zhang, was always a steady driver and had never been in an accident before.

When I arrived at the hospital, several people were already standing outside the emergency room. These included several deputy secretaries of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, people from the Municipal Party Committee Office, and the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau.

"How is it?" Lin Fan asked.

"Secretary Zhou has a broken left arm and some abrasions, but it's nothing serious and they're treating it," a deputy secretary said. "The driver, Xiao Zhang, is more seriously injured; he has two broken ribs and a mild concussion, and he's still under examination."

Lin Fan breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his heart was still pounding. He walked to the door of the emergency room and saw Zhou Wenyuan sitting inside through the glass, with a doctor treating his arm. Zhou Wenyuan's face was pale, but his eyes were still sharp.

As soon as the doctor came out, Lin Fan hurried inside.

"Secretary Zhou..."

Zhou Wenyuan saw him and nodded: "I'm fine. How's Xiao Zhang?"

"They're still checking, but he shouldn't be in any life-threatening danger." Lin Fan looked at his arm in a cast. "What happened? Xiao Zhang is always a careful driver."

Zhou Wenyuan was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "The truck suddenly changed lanes and crashed into us. It doesn't seem like an accident."

Lin Fan's heart sank: "You mean...?"

"Someone has made a move," Zhou Wenyuan said calmly, but his eyes were cold. "I just had someone check, and that truck was using a fake license plate. The driver ran away. It was empty."

An empty car, a car with a fake license plate, suddenly changed lanes and crashed into the car of a municipal leader. This certainly didn't seem like an accident.

"Who do you think it is?" Lin Fan asked.

"It's hard to say," Zhou Wenyuan said, looking at him. "But they're definitely after me. Or maybe they're after what we're investigating."

Zhang Jianguo. The name popped into Lin Fan's mind. But without evidence, he couldn't speak recklessly.

"You should rest well. We'll take care of the work," Lin Fan said.

Zhou Wenyuan shook his head: "My injury is nothing. But you need to be careful. If they dare to mess with me, they'll dare to mess with you."

"I know."

"Go back and guard your unit well," Zhou Wenyuan said. "The political and legal system cannot be allowed to fall into chaos during this period. Continue to investigate cases that need to be investigated, but be more cautious."

"clear."

After leaving the emergency room, Lin Fan went to check on Xiao Zhang. Xiao Zhang had woken up, with bandages wrapped around his head and scratches on his face, but he was conscious.

"Secretary Lin..." Xiao Zhang tried to sit up.

"Lie still." Lin Fan pressed him down. "How are you? Does it hurt?"

"It hurts, but I can bear it," Xiao Zhang said with a wry smile. "Is Secretary Zhou alright?"

"It's nothing, just a broken arm, it'll heal after a while," Lin Fan said. "What exactly happened? Did you see the driver?"

Xiao Zhang recalled, "The truck suddenly changed lanes from the left at high speed. I saw it and tried to dodge, but it was too late. The driver... the driver was wearing a mask and hat, so I couldn't see his face. He ran away after hitting me."

Lin Fan nodded and patted Xiao Zhang on the shoulder: "Take good care of your injury, don't think too much, and just tell me if you need anything."

It was already dark when they left the hospital. Lin Fan and Zhao Gang got into the car, both remaining silent.

"Secretary Lin, about this car accident..." Zhao Gang spoke first.

"It doesn't seem like an accident," Lin Fan said. "Secretary Zhou thinks so too."

"So what do we do?"

"We'll continue with what we've been doing," Lin Fan said. "But we can't let our guard down. From today onwards, we'll go out on investigations in pairs, and we need to be careful."

"it is good."

After dropping Zhao Gang off at home, Lin Fan drove back to Riverside Garden himself. On the way, Zhou Wenyuan's words kept replaying in his mind.

Someone has made a move. It's aimed at Secretary Zhou. Or perhaps it's related to the ongoing investigation.

If it really is Zhang Jianguo, then he's more dangerous than they think. Daring to target a member of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee shows extraordinary audacity.

When he got home, Wang Juan was still awake and waiting for him.

"I heard Secretary Zhou was in a car accident?" Wang Juan asked. "Is it serious?"

"It's not serious, just a broken arm," Lin Fan said, taking off his coat. "But the driver is badly injured."

"What's going on? Wasn't Xiao Zhang driving quite steadily?"

"It was a truck that hit it, it was a car with a fake license plate, and the driver ran away." Lin Fan didn't say much more. "By the way, be careful these next few days, and be cautious when you go out."

Seeing that he looked unwell, Wang Juan didn't ask any questions and went to heat up a cup of milk for him.

The next day, Lin Fan went to work as usual. But he was on edge. Secretary Zhou was in the hospital, but the work of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission couldn't stop. He convened a meeting with several deputy secretaries to arrange the work for the next stage.

In the afternoon, Zhao Gang came to see him.

"Secretary Lin, the meeting regarding Wang Zhiqiang's case has been arranged for tomorrow morning. Will you be attending?"

"Go," Lin Fan said, "and call Xiao Chen along."

Xiao Chen is the head of the Law Enforcement Supervision Section of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission. He is in his early thirties and is very diligent in his work.

"Okay, I'll let him know."

On Thursday morning at nine o'clock, Lin Fan and Xiao Chen drove to the Third Prison. On the way, Xiao Chen drove while Lin Fan looked out the window.

"Secretary Lin, was Secretary Zhou's car accident really an accident?" Xiao Chen asked.

Lin Fan glanced at him: "What do you think?"

"I don't think so," Xiao Chen said. "I know Secretary Zhou's driver; he's an exceptionally steady driver. And it just so happens that the accident happened at this time..."

"So we need to be more careful," Lin Fan said. "After you meet Wang Zhiqiang today, go back to your unit and don't go out alone."

"clear."

As the car approached the prison, there was a traffic jam ahead. It seemed there had been a minor accident; two cars had collided, and traffic police were handling the situation.

"Let's find a place to park," Lin Fan said.

"OK."

"Let's stop here, I'll go down and take a look," Lin Fan said.

The car was parked in an empty parking space on the side of the road. Lin Fan unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, and got out. He had just straightened up and taken a few steps forward when, before he could even see his surroundings clearly, he suddenly smelled a pungent odor.

Someone covered his mouth and nose with a towel from behind. The towel probably had ether on it; it had a very strong smell.

Lin Fan tried to struggle, but he had no strength. Everything went black before his eyes, and he knew nothing more.

Xiao Chen had just parked his car and gotten out when he saw a white van pull up. The door opened, two people dragged Lin Fan into the van, and the van drove away.

The whole process took less than ten seconds.

Xiao Chen froze for two seconds, then realized what was happening and quickly got out of the car to give chase. But the bread truck had already turned the corner and disappeared.

He ran back to his car, wanting to chase after it, but his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't even insert the key. He finally managed to start the car and drove to the street corner, but the bread truck was nowhere to be seen.

Chen Yang was sweating profusely and quickly made a phone call: "Director Zhao! Secretary Lin has been kidnapped!"

Zhao Gang was in his office when he received the call. Upon hearing that Lin Fan had been kidnapped, his head buzzed.

"When? Where?"

"Just now, on the side street next to the prison!" Chen Yang's voice changed. "A white van, I didn't see the license plate clearly! Secretary Lin was drugged and carried into the van!"

"Call the police immediately! I'll inform Secretary Zhou!"

Zhao Gang hung up the phone and then called the hospital. Zhou Wenyuan answered the call and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Notify the Public Security Bureau to set up a city-wide checkpoint. Check the surveillance footage and find that van. Find Lin Fan at all costs."

"yes!"

"Furthermore," Zhou Wenyuan's voice was cold, "this matter may be related to yesterday's car accident. You know that."

"clear."

The police acted immediately. They set up checkpoints throughout the city to check the white van. They also retrieved surveillance footage from the area around the prison. However, that small street was an old neighborhood with limited surveillance; the van disappeared after turning a few corners.

Time ticked by, but there was no news.

Lin Fan's phone was unreachable; it was switched off.

Wang Juan was in the shop when she received the call. Upon hearing that Lin Fan had been kidnapped, her legs went weak and she almost fell over.

"When did this happen? Where?"

"This morning, the prison has already called the police, and they're searching the whole city. Don't worry, just wait at home. I'll let you know as soon as I have any news."

Wang Juan couldn't wait any longer and rushed home. Her parents noticed her pale face and asked what was wrong. Wang Juan told them, and her mother burst into tears.

"What are we going to do...? Who did Xiao Fan offend...?"

The family was extremely anxious, but there was nothing they could do but wait.

---

When Lin Fan woke up, he had a splitting headache.

He opened his eyes and found himself lying on a bed. The room wasn't large, like a standard room in a small hotel. The curtains were drawn, and the light was dim.

He moved and found that his hands and feet were not bound, but he had no strength. He tried to sit up, but felt extremely dizzy.

Only then did he realize that he wasn't the only one in the bed.

There was a woman lying next to him, in her twenties, dressed very little, with her back to him, seemingly asleep.

Lin Fan's heart tightened, and he quickly checked his clothes. Fortunately, his clothes were still there, though a little disheveled, but they hadn't been taken off.

What's going on?

He tried hard to remember. He remembered going to the prison with Chen Yang, getting stuck in traffic, turning into a side street... and then someone covered his face with a towel from behind... and then he couldn't remember anything else.

Just then, the door was suddenly kicked open.

Four or five people rushed in, men and women, led by a middle-aged man with an angry expression.

"Good! I finally caught you!" The man pointed at Lin Fan. "You tricked my sister into coming to this hotel! Are you even human?!"

Lin Fan was stunned: "What? I don't know her..."

"Don't you recognize him?" The man rushed to the bedside, pulled the woman up, and exclaimed, "Xiao Hong! Tell me! Is it him?!"

The woman woke up, saw Lin Fan, and suddenly burst into tears: "Brother...it's him...he lied to me, saying he was going to treat me to dinner, but he brought me here..."

"You're talking nonsense!" Lin Fan exclaimed, "I don't know you at all!"

"You're still trying to deny it!" The man grabbed Lin Fan by the collar. "My sister is only nineteen! You beast!"

Several other people gathered around, some cursing, some pushing. Some took out their phones to take pictures, and some called the police.

"Hello, 110? There's someone raping a woman here! In room 302 of the Jianshe Hotel! Come quickly!"

Lin Fan's mind was in complete chaos. He realized he had been set up.

He was kidnapped, taken to a hotel, and found a woman in his bed. Then his "family" rushed in and called the police.

Each step is meticulously planned and executed; it's truly ingenious.

He wanted to explain, but knew it would be pointless now. Since the other side had set this up, everything must have been planned.

A few minutes later, the police arrived. The officer in charge was the deputy director of the local police station, who paused for a moment when he saw Lin Fan.

"Secretary Lin? What brings you here?"

Lin Fan smiled wryly: "I was kidnapped, and I woke up here."

The deputy director looked at the woman on the bed, then at the "family members," and then at Lin Fan, his expression complex.

"Let's talk about it back at the station."

At the police station, Lin Fan recounted what had happened. But the "family members" insisted that he had raped her, and the woman also cried and said he was a liar.

"Officer, he drugged me, I don't know anything..." The woman cried, tears streaming down her face.

Lin Fan was trembling with anger, but he held it in. He knew that losing his temper now would be useless.

The police station had no choice but to detain them all and report the incident to higher authorities.

The news quickly reached the municipal party committee.

At 10 p.m., the municipal party committee convened an emergency meeting of its standing committee. Zhou Wenyuan, with his arm still in a cast, rushed over from the hospital.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy.

The police chief reported the situation: Lin Fan was suspected of raping a woman and was being held at a hotel by his "family members." However, Lin Fan claimed that he had been kidnapped and framed.

"Is there any evidence?" a member of the Standing Committee asked.

"Currently...nothing," the police chief said. "The hotel's surveillance cameras are broken, and the nearby cameras didn't capture the kidnapping. Those 'family members' and that woman...but the situation at the scene...is very unfavorable for Secretary Lin."

Another Standing Committee member spoke up: "Regardless of the circumstances, the Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission was caught in a hotel bed with a woman lying next to him. If this gets out, the impact will be terrible. I suggest he be suspended from his duties pending investigation."

"I agree," someone else said. "This kind of problem must be dealt with seriously. I recommend expulsion from the Party and dismissal from public office."

Zhou Wenyuan, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up: "The matter hasn't been investigated thoroughly, so how can it be classified as such? Comrade Lin Fan said he was kidnapped and framed, and Xiao Chen witnessed it with his own eyes. Why aren't you investigating that direction?"

"Secretary Zhou, we investigated," the police chief said, "but we really have no evidence. Kidnapping requires a motive. Who would kidnap a deputy secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission just to frame him for rape?"

"How can there be no motive?" Zhou Wenyuan said. "Lin Fan is investigating some cases that have touched on the interests of certain people. Yesterday's car accident and today's kidnapping and framing are clearly part of a series of schemes."

"Secretary Zhou, this is just speculation," a deputy secretary said. "Speculation without evidence cannot be taken as evidence. The fact is, Secretary Lin was caught in a hotel bed with a woman next to him. If this matter is not handled properly, it will damage the image of the entire political and legal system."

A debate erupted in the meeting room. Some advocated for severe punishment, while others insisted on a thorough investigation before making a decision.

Finally, the municipal party secretary made the decision.

"Comrade Lin Fan's problem is serious in nature and has a bad influence. However, considering his previous work performance and Secretary Zhou's statement that there may be a frame-up, I suggest that Comrade Lin Fan be removed from all his posts and placed on probation to observe his future conduct."

This solution is a compromise. It provides an explanation while also leaving Lin Fan a way out.

Zhou Wenyuan wanted to say something more, but the municipal party secretary waved his hand: "It's settled then. Meeting adjourned."

It was already past midnight when Lin Fan came out of the police station.

Zhao Gang drove to pick him up. After getting in the car, neither of them spoke.

After a long silence, Zhao finally spoke: "Secretary Lin... are you aware of the Standing Committee's decision?"

"I guessed it." Lin Fan looked out the window. "Removed from his post, but placed on probation. Right?"

"Yes." Zhao Gang's voice was low. "Secretary Zhou argued his case strongly at the meeting, but... there was nothing he could do. The evidence at the scene was against you."

"I know," Lin Fan said. "The person who set this up was very thorough."

"So, what's next..."

"Let's go home first," Lin Fan said. "Wang Juan must be extremely worried."

The car pulled up in front of the Riverside Garden building. Lin Fan got out and saw that the lights were still on in his apartment.

He went upstairs and opened the door. Wang Juan was sitting on the sofa, her eyes red and swollen, clearly having cried. His parents were also there, both looking at him.

"Xiao Fan..." The mother stood up first, "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing," Lin Fan forced a smile. "It's just... I've lost my position."

Wang Juan came over and hugged him: "It's good that you're alright. You've lost your job, so what? We don't care."

Lin Fan held his wife, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The opponent won this round. A decisive victory.

He was kidnapped, framed, and dismissed from his post. Secretary Zhou was injured, and his driver was seriously injured.

The other party, however, did not even show their shadow.

Zhang Jianguo. Lin Fan was almost certain it was this person.

But now that he has no position or power, how can we investigate?

Zhou Wenyuan is in the hospital with a broken arm. The work of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission will temporarily be overseen by other deputy secretaries.

He became an ordinary cadre, on probation, and could be dismissed at any time.

But Lin Fan knew this wasn't over.

Now that they've made their move, they won't stop. They might have even more ruthless tactics up their sleeve.

He could not sit idly by and wait for his death.

In this life, he sought peace and stability, but instability came knocking on his door.

Then let's face it.

The cases that need to be investigated still need to be investigated. The things that need to be done still need to be done.

It's just done in a different way.

It was late at night, and everyone in the family was asleep.

Lin Fan stood on the balcony, looking at the night outside.

The city lights still shine brightly, but in some corners, unseen darkness lurks.

What he needs to do is find out that darkness and illuminate it.

Even now, he has lost his position and power.

But it still has a brain and a heart.

This is enough.

A cool night breeze was blowing.

Lin Fan tightened his collar, turned around and went back into the house.

Tomorrow will be another new day.

The road ahead is long, take it slow.